Filling Chicken Salad with the Thermomix® is on our table whenever we want a proper lunch without spending two hours in the kitchen. Three layers cooking at once in the Varoma, done.
We have made this salad regularly for years because it delivers on the promise that so many salads break. It actually fills you up. The 26 g of protein per serving from 300 g of chicken breast, 3 eggs and 100 g of feta is no accident. It is the reason we are not standing at the fridge again two hours after eating. And because the Thermomix® takes care of all three protein sources plus the vegetables in a single cooking session, the whole thing is on the plate in 35 minutes.
Filling Chicken Salad with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 22 ✓
- 300 g chicken breast fillet
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 red pepper
- 1 yellow pepper
- 150 g button mushrooms
- 2 spring onions
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 800 g water
- 3 eggs
- 200 g iceberg lettuce
- 100 g feta
- 100 g soured cream
- 50 g water
- 20 g white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp dried dill
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 pinch sugar
Instructions 0 / 13
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1
Cut the chicken.
Cut the chicken breast fillet into cubes and place in a bowl.
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2
Marinate the chicken.
Add the olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper, mix well and transfer to the Varoma tray.
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3
Cut the peppers.
Wash the peppers, halve them, remove the seeds and stalk, cut into strips and place in a bowl.
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4
Cut the mushrooms.
Wash and clean the mushrooms, slice them and add to the peppers.
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5
Cut the spring onions.
Wash the spring onions, cut into rings and add to the vegetables.
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6
Marinate the vegetables.
Add the olive oil, oregano and salt, mix everything well and place in the Varoma steaming tray.
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7
Cook the eggs.
Add the water to the mixing bowl, insert the steaming basket and place the eggs inside the basket.
Place the Varoma with the steaming tray on top of the mixing bowl and cook for 18 min / Varoma / speed 1.
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8
Prepare the salad base.
Meanwhile, wash the iceberg lettuce, tear it into rough pieces and divide between 4 plates.
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9
Cut the feta.
Cut the feta into cubes and scatter over the lettuce.
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10
Refresh the eggs.
Remove the eggs from the mixing bowl, refresh under cold water, peel and quarter them.
Rinse the mixing bowl.
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11
Assemble the salad.
Add the vegetables and chicken to the salad and arrange the eggs on top.
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12
Mix the dressing.
Add the soured cream, water, vinegar, dill, salt and sugar to the mixing bowl and mix for 5 sec / speed 4.
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13
Serve the salad.
Pour the dressing over the salad and serve.
Tip: Croutons go particularly well with this salad. Cut 4 slices of dark farmhouse bread into small cubes. Melt 3 tbsp butter in a non-stick frying pan. Add the bread and toast, watching carefully and stirring occasionally, until golden brown.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Three layers in one cooking session
This is the real point of this recipe in the Thermomix®. We use all three levels at the same time.
- In the mixing bowl go 800 g of water and the steaming basket with the 3 eggs. The water becomes the heat source for everything above.
- In the Varoma tray sits the marinated chicken in cubes, seasoned with olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper.
- In the steaming tray the vegetables steam: peppers, mushrooms and spring onions with oregano and olive oil.
18 minutes at Varoma / speed 1, and all three components are ready. The chicken stays juicy because it cooks in steam rather than drying out in a frying pan. The mushrooms do not turn watery because they are not stewing in their own juices. After 18 minutes the eggs are hard-boiled and peel cleanly once refreshed.
Why this salad actually fills you up
Many salads look generous yet leave you with an empty feeling 30 minutes later. This one fills you up for two reasons. First, the protein content. 300 g of chicken delivers around 70 g of protein, plus 3 eggs adding about 21 g and 100 g of feta adding 14 g. Split across 4 servings that gives you the 26 g per plate mentioned above, and protein is proven to keep you satisfied longer than carbohydrates.
Second, the fibre from the vegetables. 150 g of mushrooms, two whole peppers and 200 g of iceberg lettuce add up to a solid volume per portion that physically fills the stomach. This is the point where many lazy salad recipes fall short. They list a little lettuce, a little veg, and the bowl ends up half empty.
Marinating is essential, not optional
Before cooking, the chicken is combined in a bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp sweet paprika and 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper. That sounds simple, but it is the difference between bland steamed chicken and a salad whose meat actually tastes of something. The paprika releases colour in the Varoma steam and settles visibly onto the cubes. Smoked paprika also works well here if you prefer a smoky note.
The vegetables get 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp oregano and 1/2 tsp salt. The oil matters here because it carries the fat-soluble aromas of the oregano into the steam. Without oil the vegetables taste flat. We tried it once without and never did it again.
If the chicken turns out too dry
The most common stumbling block with Varoma chicken is the size of the cubes. If the pieces are too small, under 1.5 cm, they will be cooked through within 18 minutes and turn dry afterwards. If they are too large, over 3 cm, they will remain pale inside and need extra cooking time. Our tried and tested size is 2 cm. That fits the 18 minutes the eggs need anyway.
If the chicken still seems too dry at the end, the Varoma lid was usually not seated properly. Steam escapes and the heat does not reach the top level. Before starting, check that the lid sits flush.
The dressing makes all the difference
After cooking, the dressing comes together directly in the rinsed mixing bowl. Add 100 g soured cream, 50 g water, 20 g white balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp dried dill, 1/2 tsp salt and a pinch of sugar, then mix for 5 seconds at speed 4. That is all it needs. The water thins the soured cream to a pourable consistency, the white balsamic brings sweetness and acidity together, and the dill provides the fresh note that sets this salad apart from a plain protein bowl.
For a lighter version, swap the soured cream for Greek yoghurt in equal quantities. That saves calories but costs a little creaminess. We use yoghurt in summer and soured cream in winter, which suits the season well.
What we have changed after hundreds of servings
Three adjustments have become standard for us. First: croutons from dark farmhouse bread. Dice 4 slices, toast in 3 tbsp butter until golden brown and add them just before serving. That provides the crunch that iceberg lettuce alone cannot deliver.
Second: spread the iceberg lettuce across the plates first, then add the warm chicken and vegetables on top, then pour over the dressing last. That keeps the lettuce crisp and stops the dressing making it soggy. If you do it the other way around, the base turns mushy within 10 minutes.
Third: put the eggs straight into ice-cold water the moment they come out of the Thermomix®. That stops the residual cooking and releases the shell from the white. It is the trick against the grey ring around the yolk that appears when eggs are cooked for too long.
Good for meal prep, but keep it separate
We often prepare this salad the evening before an office day, but always pack it in separate containers. One box for the cooked chicken, vegetables and eggs. A second small box for the dressing. We cut the iceberg lettuce fresh in the morning because it goes soft between the moist components overnight. Packed this way the salad keeps for two days in the fridge and tastes just as good on day two as it does fresh.
Freezing does not work. The soured cream in the dressing separates on thawing, the iceberg lettuce turns mushy and the chicken loses its moisture. With this salad, meal prep is a two-day game, not a week-long supply.
More salad recipes to try next
If this salad worked well for you, three more from our collection are worth a try. The Quick Pasta Salad with the Thermomix® is the carbohydrate-heavy option for barbecue evenings. The Healthy Egg Salad uses the same egg-cooking method with the steaming basket but leaves out the meat. The Colourful Mixed Salad uses more raw vegetables and is the quicker lunchtime option with no cooking involved.
Goes well with: Ciabatta, baguette and hummus.
As a side dish, our Thermomix® pizza works well when you have guests and need something more. For a vegetarian alternative the next day, we recommend the vegetable spaghetti with nut pesto.
